Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 80919 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 405(@200wpm)___ 324(@250wpm)___ 270(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80919 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 405(@200wpm)___ 324(@250wpm)___ 270(@300wpm)
I missed feeling like I belonged to him, and he belonged to me.
I’d only had one night sleeping next to him in his bed, but it had changed me in a way I didn’t know was possible.
Marco suggested I get over Luc by getting under a new guy. He told me to find someone with less damage and more soul, but I hadn’t met a single man who could compare to Luc Manwarring, and I was afraid I never would.
It wasn’t their fault. How could any normal man compare to someone so intense?
I had almost called him a few times, barely stopping myself, just wanting to know how he was, where he was, or what he was doing. I wanted to tell him about all the exciting things I was doing in my life. But I couldn’t. We had never really been friends. We had been pushed together, and he probably had more important things to do than listen to me, a woman he was no longer engaged to, prattle on about her insignificant life.
He’d probably forgotten about the moment I turned him down. One call to one gossip in the clubs and society women everywhere would have their daughters dolled up and parading in front of him, ready to be chosen to take my place.
***
I was on my way back from classes, heading to my apartment and thinking about stopping to get some Mexican food so I didn’t further infuriate my super by setting off the fire alarm again. I had been craving something greasy that my mother would have never let me eat in a million years. Tacos had been my current obsession. They were just the perfect food. I was focused on that when I got out of the subway and ran face-first into a very familiar suit-covered chest.
“Amelia.” Just the sound of his voice was enough to make me ache for him.
“Mr. Manwarring.” I jumped back. He raised an eyebrow. “Luc,” I corrected. “What are you doing here?”
“I just left a meeting, and I was heading home. It’s a lovely day, and I decided to walk.”
“Oh, that’s nice.”
God, he smelled so good.
I didn’t even question why he had an appointment on this side of the Manhattan Bridge, or why he would walk all the way back to the Financial District. I smiled as I laced my fingers together behind my back to stop myself from reaching out to touch him.
“How are you? I heard you moved out of your parents’ house?”
“I did. How did you hear that?”
“Your father and brother saw the value in that business deal and held us to the contract,” he explained, and my heart deflated a little. “I actually see your brother quite a bit now.”
I’d hoped he had asked after me or was keeping tabs on me somehow, but that was silly. He may have been the first man in my bed, and therefore hard to replace, but he couldn’t say the same about me.
Why hadn’t Harrison mentioned anything?
“I’m glad it all worked out for you, in the end,” I said.
“We’ll see about that.” He ran his fingers through his hair. “Where are you off to?”
“I’m meeting some friends for dinner,” I said.
I didn’t want him to know I was going home to an empty apartment with some takeout. The last thing I wanted was his pity, as he was no doubt on his way to an event or date or something.
Men like him didn’t go home alone unless they wanted to, and he had no reason to.
“Some friends? Does that include a boyfriend?” He put his hands in his pockets and bounced on his toes a little.
If I didn’t know better, I would have thought he was nervous.
I considered lying again, but my gut told me not to.
“No, no boyfriends. I am trying to figure out who I am, what I want. Besides, you aren’t an easy act to follow.”
I don’t know why I said that. I really shouldn’t have.
Heat rose to my cheeks. I wished I was smoother, more confident, or could at least figure out a way to run from this awkward situation with some of my dignity still intact.
“I hope you find what you are looking for, Amelia.” He reached out to cup my cheek.
I wanted to lean into his touch, fall back into his arms, and never let go.
“I hope you do, too, Luc.”
My eyes stung, and I swallowed the lump in my throat.
This was all my doing.
I had made my bed, and now I had to lie in it, alone. “I’ll see you around.”
He nodded and dropped his hand. He made to walk past me, then stopped.
I thought he was going to say something else, but he merely leaned down and placed a sweet, chaste kiss on my cheek.
I closed my eyes and held my breath, savoring the feel of his lips on my skin.